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Kigawa
Kigawa Kōgaku was a Japanese camera maker, appearing in the mid-1930s. The associated distributor in the 1930s and early 1940s was called Optochrom-sha, Nichiei Shōkai then Kikō Shōji. After 1945, the company was briefly renamed Shin Nippon Kōgyō, before using the name Kigawa Kōgaku again. It was renamed Carl Kōgaku in 1952, and disappeared the following year. History Prewar and wartime period The company name Optochrom-sha (オプトクローム社) On the markings observed, the company used the spelling "Optochrom", not "Optochrome". appears in advertisements as early as February 1937, maybe from 1936. The earliest advertisement for the Baby Chrome listed in , p.336, is dated October 1936. An advertisement by Optochrom dated February 1937 is reproduced in the same source in two parts, on pp.61 and 70. The address was Tōkyō, Nihonbashi, Honchō 1–5 (東京・日本橋・本町一ノ五). Advertisements dated February 1937 to March 1941 reproduced in , pp.70 and 78–9. Optochrom sold a range of cameras using 120 or 127 film, most having some variation of the brand names "Chrome" and "Tsubasa". It is said that the maker of the cameras was already called Kigawa Kōgaku (木川光学) in that period, and a K.A logo is said to correspond to Kigawa Association (木川アソシェーション), a group formed by Kigawa Kōgaku and Optochrom-sha. Maker already called Kigawa Kōgaku: extract of Kamera no ayumi, reproduced in Furukawa, p.5 of no.261. Meaning of the K.A logo of the Semi Sixteenth: Furukawa, p.7 of the same article. The Japanese word tsubasa, usually written 翼, means "wing" or "pair of wings"; but in the camera advertisements it has only been observed in katakana: ツバサ. (An advertisement dated 1940 shows a stylized bird of prey with outstretched wings.) Advertisement in April 1940, reproduced in , p.79. The name Tsubasa is also found on various accessories sold by the distributor Matsuzaki Shashinki-ten, like the Tsubasa lens hood and the Tsubasa self-timer. See for example this advertisement dated June 1937 reproduced in the Gochamaze website and this advertisement dated 1941 reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura. It seems that these accessories were made by Tōkyō Shashin Kōgaku, An advertisement published in Ars Camera October 1938 and cited in , p.336 says that "Tōkyō Shashin Kōgaku Kōgyōsho" (sic) was the maker of the Tsubasa products (ツバサ製品), presumably the accessories. a company which also made the Baby Germa and Semi Germa cameras, distributed by Kigawa. , items 65 and 167. The name Optochrom-sha was used at least until March 1941. Advertisement dated March 1941 reproduced in , p.79. In November 1941 and January 1942, the sales company was called Nichiei Shōkai Honten (日英商会本店), at the same address. Advertisement dated November 1941 reproduced in Nakamura, p.29 of no.173 (the same advertisement is dated June 1941 in Onodera, p.18 of no.127, perhaps by mistake); , dated November 1941; advertisement dated January 1942 reproduced in , p.68. The name means "Anglo-Japanese sales company", which is remarkable at a time when military-ruled Japan was allied to Germany, in war with Great-Britain. It seems that at least some anglophile people were ruling the company, and this also appears in the name of the Tsubasa Kiko Three, which was engraved in English as Kiko Three on the early examples of the camera. At the time, the company was also acting as a distributor of the Lausar lenses by Tomioka. Advertisement (date unknown) reproduced in Inoue, p.130 of no.14. The name of the sales company became Kikō Shōji Gōshi-gaisha (木光商事 ) in February 1942; Advertisements dated February 1942 to July 1943 reproduced in , pp.66 and 71. this clearly derives from Kigawa and Kōgaku. This company has the same address as the former Optochrom-sha. In November 1941, the manufacturer was called Kigawa Seimitsu Kōgaku Kikai Seizōsho (木川精密光学機械製造所, i.e. Kigawa precision optical instruments factory), a name still in use in July 1943. The first factory was in Oku, Arakawa-ku (荒川・尾久), and the second in Nezu, Hongō-ku (本郷・根津). Advertisement dated November 1941 reproduced in Nakamura, p.29 of no.173 (the same advertisement is dated June 1941 in Onodera, p.18 of no.127, perhaps by mistake); advertisements dated January 1942 to July 1943 reproduced in , pp.66, 68 and 71. The address of the Oku plant in 1943 was Tōkyō, Nihonbashi, Oku-chō 8–1130 (東京都荒川区尾久町8–1130). Source: . The company is inaccurately called "Kigawa Seimitsu Kikai Seisakusho" in this source (木川精密機械製作所). The company made some cameras with the name "Kiko". It abandoned the models using 127 film and concentrated on 4.5×6 and 6×6 folders. The last ones, the Kiko Semi and the Gotex, were advertised until 1944. The last advertisement for the Gotex mentioned by , p.336, is dated December 1944. Postwar period The company was recreated under the name Shin Nippon Kōgyō K.K. (新日本興業 ) It is unrelated to the company Shin Nippon Kōki K.K. (新日本工機 ), founded in 1949 according to its official website. in April 1946. Furukawa, p.2 of no.156. It is said that the name was changed because the company wanted to keep a low profile because of its past involvement in the Japanese war effort. The Kiko Semi 4.5×6 folder was offered again in mid-1946, but no company name is visible on the advertisements. Advertisements in May 1946 (p.3) and July 1946 (p.29). That dated May is reproduced in , p.132. In 1948, the address of Shin Nippon Kōgyō was Bunkyō-ku Nezu Yaegaki-chō Denteimae in Tokyo (東京都文京区根津八重垣町電停前). Advertisement on the third cover of , April 20, 1948, reproduced on p.85 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku. It was selling the Gotex with newer SNK markings, and it later made the Poppy Six, derived from the Gotex, and the Poppy subminiature. The Poppy Six certainly evolved into the Minon Six made by Yamato Kōki Kōgyō in the 1950s, but the nature of the relationship between the two companies is unclear. Shin Nippon Kōgyō was renamed Kigawa Kōgaku K.K. (木川光学 , Kigawa Optical Co, Ltd) at some point, and the company was using that name as early as December 1950 and as late as January 1952, at a similar address. Advertisements dated from December 1950 to January 1952 reproduced in , pp.136 and 148–9. The exact address was Tōkyō-to Bunkyō-ku Nezu Yaegaki-chō 28-banchi (東京都文京区根津八重垣28番地). It used the brand name "Tsubasa" again, with the Tsubasa Semi 4.5×6 folder and the Tsubasaflex 6×6 TLR. On the cameras themselves the name is written in roman script, as either "Tsubasa" or "Tubasa"; these are merely alternative romanizations. (To the ears of English speakers the name starts with a "ts" rather than a simple "t" sound.) In 1952, the company was renamed Carl Kōgaku K.K. (カール光学 ), with the same address. Advertisements dated from July 1952 to April 1953 reproduced in , p.131. It produced the Carl Six for about a year, The last advertisement for the New Carl Six mentioned by , p.349, is dated April 1953. and made the Carlflex 6×6cm SLR prototype before disappearing completely. 120 film cameras 4.5×6 folders * Semi Chrome A (1937) * Semi Chrome B (1937–8) * Semi Shiks and Semi Sixteenth (late 1930s) * Tsubasa Super Semi and Rondex (1938–41) * Tsubasa II Super Semi (1940) * Ruby * Lark * Tsubasa Nettar (1940) * Tsubasa Kiko Three (1941) * Semi Kulax (1941–3) * Kiko Semi (1942–4 and early postwar) * Kely * Tsubasa Semi (I, II, III, F1, F2, F3) (1950–2) A Rosen postwar camera has been observed that seems related to the Tsubasa Semi F. 6×6 folders * Gotex (1941–4 and early postwar) * Poppy Six and Poppy Six II (late 1940s) * Carl Six I, II (1952–3) * New Carl Six BI, BII, BIII (1953) 6×6 TLRs * Kiko Flex (1943) * Tsubasaflex, Tubasaflex and Tubasaflex Junior (1951) * Orionflex (attribution unconfirmed) * Rectaflex, name variant of the Tubasaflex * Graceflex (1952) 6×6 SLR * Carlflex (prototype) 127 film cameras 4×6.5 telescopic * Tsubasa Chrome (1937–8) and Tsubasa Chrome New (1938–9) 4×6.5 folder * Tsubasa Spring (1938–9), also called Tsubasa Spring A, Tsubasa Spring Camera or Tsubasa A Chrome 3×4 * Baby Oso (1937) * Baby Chrome (1936–8 and maybe later) * Tsubasa Arawashi (1939–41) Subminiature cameras * Tsubasa (c.1941, existence unconfirmed) * Poppy (16mm film, late 1940s or early 1950s) The Sun B Hit-type camera is marked S.N.K. Camera Works, and was perhaps made by Shin Nippon Kōgyō too. Notes Sources / further reading * . Advertisements in May 1946 (p.3) and July 1946 (p.29). * Items 57–8, 75, 101, 143–52, 462–3, 471, 503, 606–8. * Furukawa Haruo (古川保男). "Gurēsu shikkusu" (グレースシックス, Grace Six). In no.156 (June 1990). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. * Furukawa Haruo (古川保男). "Semi Sixteenth '16×2=32, 16×3=48'". In no.261 (March 1999). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. Pp.5–9. * Inoue, Mitsuo (井上光朗). "Shashin renzu no yoake. Renzu-ya Funsenki" (写真レンズの夜明け・レンズ屋奮戦記, Dawn of the photographic lens – Fierce war tales between lens shops). Pp.128–132. * * Kanno Tsunetoshi (管野経敏). "A kara Z no kokusan niganrefu" (AからZの国産二眼レフ, Japanese TLRs from A to Z). In Miryoku saihakken: Nigan refu: Firumu kamera ha e no messēji (魅力再発見・二眼レフ：フィルムカメラ派へのメッセージ, Fascination rediscovery: TLRs: A message to film cameras). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppansha, 2006. * Kawamata Masataku (川又正卓). "Carl-6." In ''Supuringu kamera de ikou: Zen 69 kishu no shōkai to tsukaikata'' (スプリングカメラでいこう：全69機種の紹介と使い方, Let's try spring cameras: Introduction to and use of 69 machines). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4-87956-072-3. Pp.116–7. On the relationship between Kigawa and Carl. * Pp.464–5 and 890. * Nakamura Kin (中村欽). "Hanseiki mae no jū-ichi-gatsu ni wa..." (半世紀前の十一月には..., In November, fifty years ago...) In no.173 (November 1991). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. P.29. * Advertisement on p.85, corresponding to the third cover of the April 20, 1948 issue. * Onodera Eiri (小野寺英里). "SNK to Kigawa to Taisei to Fujikō to" (SNKと木川と大成と富士光と, SNK, Kigawa, Taisei, Fujikō, etc.). In no.127 (January 1988). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. Pp.15–20. Links In Japanese: * Advertisements reproduced in the Japanese camera page, the small format camera page and the camera company page of the Gochamaze website: ** Advertisement for the Tsubasa hood, published in the 20 June 1937 issue of Sunday Mainichi ** Advertisement for the Baby Chrome and Tsubasa range, published in the September 1938 issue of * Advertisement for the Tsubasa hood and self-timer, Gelto rangefinder and KI exposure meter, published in an unidentified 1941 camera magazine reproduced in Nostalgic Camera, a page of old Japanese advertisements by Toshio Inamura In Chinese: * Tsubasa rangefinder at www.ccc2000.net Category: Japanese camera makers *